As some of you may know, my chicken is about the only thing that's keeping me from trying my hand at KCBS competition. I may have turned that corner, though. In a mad rush to get some dinner done tonight, and being determined to use the WSM to do it, I got home at a little after 5, brined my chicken, smoke/grilled it on the WSM, and dinner was on the table by 6:45. I don't know if I smoked it or grilled it, so you can help me decide what method this actually qualifies as.
(Ignore Robert's hand - he was hungry...)
The players - a "pick of the chick" package - 3 breasts, 3 thighs, 3 drumsticks. Got home a few minutes after 5, immediately mixed up a brine of 1 quart water, 1 quart apple juice, 1/2 cup non-iodized table salt (a double-strength brine), and 3/4 cup white sugar. I pryed the skin up off of each piece without removing it completely, and dumped the chicken into the brine. Out to the smoker, dumped prior ashes, and fired 1 full chimney Kingsford and 1/2 chimney lump on the turkey burner, in two separate chimneys. (Yeah, normally that would be overkill, but I wanted HEAT.) Dumped all well-burning charcoal into the WSM charcoal ring at 5:45, left the lid off, and let it burn, baby, burn while I finished chicken prep. Back in the house, I rinsed the chicken thoroughly in running water, laid it all out on a doubled towel, and gently rubbed it dry best I could. (NOTE - this would have been the time to let it sit in the fridge uncovered for a few hours to improve the skin, or in front of the fan for a while, but I didn't have the time.) Removed from the towel, picked up the skin, and massaged some secret seasoning up under the skin - just a low-salt roast chicken seasoning. Replaced the skin just so, and sprinkled a little seasoning on top just the make the skin prettier.
Meat met the heat by 6:00 pm, with no waterpan whatsoever, all vents open, apple pellets for smoke, and all chicken on the top rack skin side up for the entire cook. (Note to self - skin side down for the first little while would probably help the skin.) WSM was over 400 at the time - not sure how much over because I took the smoker probe of the WSM out for a while to avoid frying it. Put it back in at 6:15, when temp was showing about 398. I shut vents to about 1/2 at that time, and the temp gradually dropped from 398 to 375 about 6:30, where it stablized. The breasts reached 170 at 6:45 (yeah, I know that's overdone, but that's how Robert likes them). Did not glaze, did not spritz, did not sauce.
Appearance was nice, skin was perfectly edible and tender though not crisp (a drying session before cooking would have helped here). Even overcooked breasts were juicy and tender, and nicely seasoned to the bone thanks to Cooks Illustrated's double-strength fast-brining suggestion. No trace of red around thigh, leg, or breast bones even after only 45 minutes on the smoker. Skin was a bit salty due to my heavy-handed sprinkling onto it for cosmetic's sake, but the flavor of the meat was very good.
All in all, I'll probably be doing my chicken pieces like this from here on out, except for adding a bit more drying time to help work on the skin.
That's all for this evening's report.
Keri C, smokin' on Tulsa Time
(on the new WSM Turbo Model)
(Ignore Robert's hand - he was hungry...)
The players - a "pick of the chick" package - 3 breasts, 3 thighs, 3 drumsticks. Got home a few minutes after 5, immediately mixed up a brine of 1 quart water, 1 quart apple juice, 1/2 cup non-iodized table salt (a double-strength brine), and 3/4 cup white sugar. I pryed the skin up off of each piece without removing it completely, and dumped the chicken into the brine. Out to the smoker, dumped prior ashes, and fired 1 full chimney Kingsford and 1/2 chimney lump on the turkey burner, in two separate chimneys. (Yeah, normally that would be overkill, but I wanted HEAT.) Dumped all well-burning charcoal into the WSM charcoal ring at 5:45, left the lid off, and let it burn, baby, burn while I finished chicken prep. Back in the house, I rinsed the chicken thoroughly in running water, laid it all out on a doubled towel, and gently rubbed it dry best I could. (NOTE - this would have been the time to let it sit in the fridge uncovered for a few hours to improve the skin, or in front of the fan for a while, but I didn't have the time.) Removed from the towel, picked up the skin, and massaged some secret seasoning up under the skin - just a low-salt roast chicken seasoning. Replaced the skin just so, and sprinkled a little seasoning on top just the make the skin prettier.
Meat met the heat by 6:00 pm, with no waterpan whatsoever, all vents open, apple pellets for smoke, and all chicken on the top rack skin side up for the entire cook. (Note to self - skin side down for the first little while would probably help the skin.) WSM was over 400 at the time - not sure how much over because I took the smoker probe of the WSM out for a while to avoid frying it. Put it back in at 6:15, when temp was showing about 398. I shut vents to about 1/2 at that time, and the temp gradually dropped from 398 to 375 about 6:30, where it stablized. The breasts reached 170 at 6:45 (yeah, I know that's overdone, but that's how Robert likes them). Did not glaze, did not spritz, did not sauce.
Appearance was nice, skin was perfectly edible and tender though not crisp (a drying session before cooking would have helped here). Even overcooked breasts were juicy and tender, and nicely seasoned to the bone thanks to Cooks Illustrated's double-strength fast-brining suggestion. No trace of red around thigh, leg, or breast bones even after only 45 minutes on the smoker. Skin was a bit salty due to my heavy-handed sprinkling onto it for cosmetic's sake, but the flavor of the meat was very good.
All in all, I'll probably be doing my chicken pieces like this from here on out, except for adding a bit more drying time to help work on the skin.
That's all for this evening's report.
Keri C, smokin' on Tulsa Time
(on the new WSM Turbo Model)
